Colleagues,
I have avoided commenting on recent events until. It seemed somehow
macabre to be engaging the kind of punditry that we see far too much of on
CBC, BBC, ABC, CNN, etc.
However, I have just returned from teaching my first year geography class,
where I had gathered together numerous articles from the New York Times,
CBS news website, CNN, as well as postings to the CGF (I deleted all
identifying information before presenting postings to my class).
We spoke in my class about the human tragedy of the events, about the many
people around the world who were affected by this (networks and
geographical linkages of course...). I commented on my own fear for the
safety of friends and colleagues -- fellow critical geographers -- at
various campuses of the City University of New York. (Neil and Cindi, if
you see this I hope you and all your friends and colleagues are safe!) I
also spoke of the National Geographic Society Staff and students who we
know have died in the planes that were hijacked
In addition, I talked about a close friend and colleague of mine who is
Chilean-Canadian and who told me that it was recently the anniversary of
the US-backed military coup in Chile that resulted in the installment of
Pinochet as ruler who oversaw the 'disappearence' of more than 30,000
civilians in that country. My students examined data on the incomes of the
twenty largest multi-national corporations and the twenty poorest countries
of the world, and we talked of the possibilities that there might be
linkage between the massive wealth of multinational capital and the poverty
of so-called 'third world' countries. We discussed the fact that Nike
shareholders are wealthy in part because Nike employs sweatshop labour in
south Asia. We discussed how the clothing that we wear has a bigger price
than merely that which is listed on the pricetag in the store...
What was really heartening for me, however, was that students could see
that this issue was nowhere near as simple as the North American and
British Media (although if any of you get a chance, you should check out
the Canadian Francophone TV reporting... they have been talking about the
wider issues of multi-national capital and state terror!) have been
portraying it. That it should not be seen in simple dichotomous terms like
Us and Them, or Good and Evil... instead, there is a specific historical
geography that we might trace out to understand how we might all be
implicated in these events, if only as the unwitting recipients and
beneficiaries of Western (and white) privilege.
I condemn the acts of terror recently perpetrated on US soil AND I condemn
the long list of state-sponsored terror that so rarely gets reported when
it happens in other parts of the world. For this reason I am pretty
saddened by the potential for more state terror to be invoked in the name
of 'justice'. The following quotes from the NYTimes Online are rather
frightening:
"It's not just simply a matter of capturing people and
holding them accountable, but removing the sanctuaries,
removing the support systems, ending states who sponsor
terrorism."
--Paul D. Wolfowitz, the deputy secretary of defense
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/14/international/14CAPI.html
=========================
A Vow to Erase Terrorist Networks -- bin Laden Is Singled
Out
The Bush administration singled out Osama bin Laden as a
prime suspect in Tuesday's catastrophic terror attacks and
vowed a comprehensive military campaign to demolish
terrorist networks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/13/nyregion/13PLAN.html
I work on a small, tight-knit campus that has many hindu, muslim, sikkh and
christian students. The job now seems to be partly one of contesting the
racism that seems to be more acceptable in these times of hightened
emotions. In an interview I just gave to the student newspaper, I referred
to these events as 'a defining moment in North American racism'...
Well, my thoughts are not very well-formed, so I won't keep blathering.
For some reason it seemed important to 'talk' about these events with CGF
members too. thanks for your patience.
With best wishes and condolences to all the victims of violence around the
world. My heart goes out to those who are currently struggling to
understand and cope with the loss of friends and family.
Lawrence
Lawrence D. Berg, D.Phil.
Associate Professor of Geography
& Research Liaison Co-ordinator
Office of Research Services
Okanagan University College
Vernon, B.C., Canada V1B 2N5
Ph: +250/545-7291 ext. 2264
Fx: +250/545-3277
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Web: http://www.geog.ouc.bc.ca/geog/berg/Berghome/
Co-editor: ACME: An International E-Journal
for Critical Geographies
http://www.acme-journal.org
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